Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter

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Enabling the user to connect their Xbox 360 wirelessly to the internet, Mincrosoft's Network Adapter is both reliable and easy to set up. Prices can be high though, and later models have the feature built in. „

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Great idea, but Pick up a more advanced model.

So! Back in 2006 I decided to pick up an Xbox 360, and over the years it has done me proud. Avoiding the red rings of death and lending me hours upon hours of enjoyment.

As any gamer can attest, playing over Xbox live with friends is especially fun, and allows you to keep in touch and play socially, when it would otherwise be inconvenient. For this, naturally, you require an internet connection but often that is easier said than done.

To hook your Xbox up to the internet, you have two options. Firstly - you can plug in the internet wire (ethernet) into the back of the xbox, and job's a goodun'. Unfortunately for this approach, you require the xbox to be in the room with the main router, to have a telephone wire in the room with the xbox, or to have reaaaaaaaalllly long wires, and a household who accept that wires trailing across their halls is part of family life.

If none of the above are options (like for me in all previous houses) you must resort to the wireless adaptor. The adaptor cost me £56 at the time of purchase (it has since came down in price drastically, and received several updates in the bargain). For me it was a necessity, living with my sister and neices at the time, trying to play the Xbox in the family room with the internet router would have been like fighting the tide. Instead, I resigned myself to the £56 tax, in order to play it in the peace of my own room.

Ease of use*********The adaptor is easy to set up as a peice of hardware - it simply requires you to clip it on to the rear of your xbox 360, and plug in the Usb. Easy peasy. Setting it up to the features of your Xbox and internet, may be a little more difficult (as I found out). It took hours, and a lot of stress and swearing, but I managed to get it sorted.Fortunately, after that initial set-up, every time we have since moved rooms or houses it has gotten significantly easier, which is a plus (I think Microsoft picked up on how hard it was to set up initially, and provided updates to allow for easier usage).

Quality*******This is where it falls down... From one or two rooms away, the device picks up signal just fine. From one or two floors away - less so. In one of my houses, I lived in the attic. The wireless transmitter was on the ground floor. Whilst my laptop picked up our bars (out of a possible five) of signal, my Xbox could only pick up one bar, rendering any hope of playing online fruitless. Similarly, in my last home, an apartment, merely having the Xbox at the opposite end of the flat resulted in one bar of signal. In the end I resigned myself to wiring up the xbox to the router.

Pros:****** It provides good convenience and allows you to access Xbox live where family or housing constraints would otherwise deny you. Or at least it would in theory...

Cons:******This model just isn't very good. It was the first one released, and whilst there have been huuuuuuge leaps forward since, (and the newer models of Xbox even have their own mounted inside the console) this item just doesn't quite cut it.

Would I recommend?******************In a word - No. I would recommend the newer device as a significant leap forward in design and function over this one, even if it does cost a little bit more.

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Simple device that opens your Xbox gameplay right up!

I have an older xbox 360 that I have happily been using offline and not connected to Xbox Live. That was until the lads at work pestered me to sign up so that they could play FIFA against me!!! And so I took the plunge and managed to find one of these online for £34.99. On looking further, it would seem you can pick a second-hand one of these up for around £20.

Installation is very easy. Simply plug the USB cable attached to the device into one of the free USB ports on the front of the Xbox. My wireless network was already set up beforehand, so it was a matter of following the on screen instructions to set up the connection to my wireless network.

Despite being a good 15 metres away from my router, this wireless adapter performs well, rarely loosing signal. Granted, it's not as fast as an ethernet connection, but it is wireless and so this is to be expected.

This is a cheap and easy way to get your Xbox connected to Xbox live without wires and with minimal fuss.

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waste of money since wired is still way better

Th reason this item is not very good is because its very flimsy and wireless iternet still needs alot of work before it can become the norm, reason is there are lots of invisible waves all around us which can interfere with the wireless connection for example microwaves and sound waves from radios and big vehicles going past your house making it vibrate a personal experience of mine.Xbox live is not good enough to support wireless im on wired and i get disconnected from games and partys because of live my internet on the pc works flawlessly so i know in my mind that its not my internet connection.Also the price of this item is not very cheap either it retails at £39.99 and is not worth it since you will most likely have a router in your home for your computer you can buy a cat5 ethernet cable for about £6 depending on the length of cable you want also depends on the price. overall this isnt worth buying it is a waste of money just stick with wired internet it is more reliable than wireless always will be.

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Would reccomend getting the new model with the built in adapter

If you have an older model Xbox i thoroughly recommend you purchase one of these wireless adapters as it will allow you to gain access to online play. It is very reliable and only requires one purchase even if you use a different console at some point (once at a time). From my experience i would say that it is a very good piece of equipment that any gamer should purchase if they can, it is relatively small meaning that it doesn't take up any room (attaches to the 360), it provides good connection most of the time as long as you have good internet connection.

However there are a few negatives. It is in my opinion, extremely overpriced for what it is and you would think since the release of the new model they would have made it a lot cheaper than it currently is, but as far as I'm aware this isn't the case. I don't know about other people's experiences but i have a good internet connection with multiple devices connected and sometimes for an unknown reason i just couldn't connect when these other devices could (which is very frustrating if you want to play online with your friends).

If you were looking into getting one, as i said i would suggest that you do as it is a very essential piece of technology for good online gaming. However suggest a better alternative by getting a new model if you can (trade in old one or something) as it has a built in one and doesn't require a separate purchase.

If you decide to buy one, just make sure you shop around as you can maybe save yourself some money.

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I find this an invaluable aid to my XBOX experience!

Because my Xbox360 is quite a distance from my phone socket, when I wanted to go LIVE and play against people all across the world, a Wireless Network adapter was my only option.

This simple looking device costs around £35-£40 and plugs into one of the sockets at the front of your Xbox360 console. This then puts you in touch with Xbox players worldwide and puts the Xbox Live universe completely at your disposal. Well, after you have paid for a yearly subscription to the Gold service that is.....but if you don't want to pay any more, there is still the more limited Silver service that allows you to download but not to play with others....

Setting up is fairly simple if you already have a Wireless Network already in place like we did. The instructions that accompany this on-screen, reached through your Xbox Dashboard, are easy to follow and take you through each bit of the process step-by-step. Even if you are a bit of a technological novice like myself, this system provides plenty of help through trouble-shooting screens that help push you towards possible solutions if anything goes wrong.

I have had only a few issues with this during the time I have been using it. Very occassionally I turn on my Xbox to find I am disconnected from Xbox Live and cannot reconnect but getting past this is easy. All I do is unplug the Wireless LAN from my console and reattattach it and everything is fine again. Whether this is a problem with the router or Xbox Live I don't know but iut has only happened a few times and not for quite a while now.

Oher than that, this device is priceless and my key, along with my Gold subscription, to a whole new world of gaming and an increased Xbox Live experience that includes access to Twitter, Facebook and other Social Media as well as everything else Xbox Live has to offer.....

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Get the cable instead

@ About @

I have had this network adaptor for 3 years now, and it still works like new. This is the really good thing with this, because once you buy one, you won't buy anther one, unlike the consoles when they get red ring. This does not have errors and overheating, although it does get quite hot to touch. It does put up with a lot of strain, being at the back of the console near the fans, and after a while gets incredibly warm back there, but still works without mechanical fault.

@Signal @

I live in a house where the hub is at the back of the house, and the console at the front, which means the signal has to travel through walls and various other obstacles to get to the console. For any other network adapter I've owned this would not be a problem, with little interference. This one though, very rarely gets above 2 bars, and occasionally dips to 1 (out of a possible 3) so the majority of the time it's getting half the signal it should, which causes lag.

Online gameplay tends to lag out quite a lot as the ping rises. Sending messages takes a couple seconds longer while the connection thinks about it for a while on a loading screen, and if you are trying to download a very large file, it takes hours for a couple gig worth of game demos. It really isn't great quality, and the connectivity isn't good either.

Setting up is really easy where you can just plug and play because the console automatically recognises the adapter, and under "My Xbox" performs a scan of local networks automatically. The network adapter tells the Xbox what wireless networks are in range and can be set to automatically join, or manually ask which network to join each time.

@ Overall @

This seems like a lot of money for a rubbish network adapter. I would recommend the Ethernet alternative for Xbox 360 consoles because they are faster, don't cost the earth and signal quality isn't a problem anymore since you're already connected to the hub directly.

I paid £59.99 for this adapter and it feels like an absolute rip off, but you have to buy it because Microsoft won't let the console accept anything else, so they can charge the earth for it and you will have to buy it. Wrong, you don't have to buy it, get a cheap £4.99 Ethernet cable, save money and have considerably better results.

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Perfect for it's intended use

I recently bought my partner a new Xbox 360 slimline (MW3 Edition) and as the biggest TV in our house is in the front room, he decided that this new console was to go in the front room in place of the old Xbox 360 we already owned.

I decided to put the older console in the bedroom, so that I could play it whilst my partner was on his console in the front room, but to be able to play online I would need to get a wireless adapter as the older consoles do not have a built in wireless capability like the new ones do. It was either that or get the worlds longest ethernet cable to be able to plug the console into the modem!!

I had a look in Game for a wireless adapter, but I was unprepared to pay the amount they were asking for either a new or a second hand one, and so I went online. Strangely enough I found a preowned one of the Game website for just £20 - £15 cheaper than the preowned ones in store!! I ordered this and waited for it to arrive, as I was in no rush to get the Xbox online again.

The item actually arrived rather quickly and I went straight to work at connecting the Xbox online, just incase there was a problem with the item and it needed to be returned. I was not too sure how to connect one of these adapters, as there was no instructions with the item, being second hand, but it was all pretty simple.

The adapter connects through USB and there is two ports on the front of my Xbox and one on the back. The one on the back is the better one to use though as there is a clip on the adapter which locks onto the back of the Xbox, so it is connected and away tidily with no wires or messy eyesores. There is a small aerial on the top of the adapter which you unfold and point up so it can recieve the wireless signal from your Wifi.

The adapter is powered through the USB port of the Xbox so there is no need to worry about plugging it into the mains. When you first plug the adapter into the Xbox and turn the console on, a notification will pop up on the screen asking you to configure the adapter. Just press yes and this will do the process automatically and it was actually quite quick to do this. Once this has finished, a screen will show up which tells you what Wifi signals has been picked up and you just scroll through and select the network you wish to join.

You then type in your WIFI password, should one be required, and the connection is complete. The Xbox will remember this WIFI connection every time you wish to sign into Xbox live, and you ca leave the adapter plugged into the Xbox all the time, as it turns off when you turn off the console and turns on when you turn on the console. There is no need to do anything else with it, you will soon probably forget it is there and just carry on with your gaming.

I am actually really pleased with this purchase and I am glad I bought it. It is definatley worth the money I paid for it, and I am glad that I did not pay the higher prices, as brand new these cost £50!! If you are able to get one cheaper, even a preowned one, I would recommend this, as I do not think it is worth £50 to be able to play games online, especially if you will only be doing so once in a while.

All in all, this was a good buy and I am glad I got it. It is simple to set up, simple to use and so far has given me no problems *touch wood*. I could not ask for better, as it does the exact job I want it to do, and I did not have have to pay a fortune for it. Even if it only lasts me a year or two, it is totally worth the £20 I paid for it.

You can buy these preowned and brand new in Game, on the Game website and in places like Gamestation and selected Blockbusters too. You can also buy them online on sites such as Amazon and eBay, but it is always best to have a look around for the best price, as it is not worth paying out too much for these.

I give this Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter a 5 out of 5 stars, as it is perfect for the job. Totally recommended.

*This review is also on Ciao under the user name of Hailee*

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Good product to ease your life a bit!

Intro------With more and more people heading online to play their favourite games, online capability on consoles is only becoming more and more popular. With this in mind, on the Xbox 360, you have 2 options, the first is to connect an ethernet cable to your wireless router and your console, which does the job perfectly, but leaves you with loads of wires going all round your house, making the place look horrid and untidy, which is not fun for anyone. The other option is to buy this wireless adapter, which simply plugs in to the back of the Xbox USB port, and will connect wirelessly to your broadband router in your home. Thus, this is the easy, wire free solution to all your online connectivity needs.

Setting up the device---------------------------You might think that this would be a tricky issue, and something reserved for techy types only, but I can assure you that I am not that, and am pretty much a novice in these areas, and found it really easy. Obviously you already need wireless connectivity in your house, and Xbox Live membership, but after that you can just plug this into the back of the device, into the USB port and you are away and running - it really is simple.

The adapter---------------As you can see, the adapter is pretty small, making it nice and light so it is easy to lug around or move about. It also means you can store it on top of your console without too much of an issue. The only downside is that it is about £49.99 to purchase, which is the price of a game, so you may consider that a better investment, but it does cut down on the amount of wires you need in the house so it is pretty good, and worthwhile, in my opinion.

Performance----------------I have never had any issues with the adapter itself, occasionally my internet goes offline, in which case you have to reset the adapter, which is annoying, but it isn't the fault of the product, as this happened before I bought it, and is just a problem with internet connectivity in general. The adapter is a good distance from my router and it works both quickly and efficiently, so a big thumbs up from me.

Summary-----------Basically, if you do not want the trouble of wires all over your house, and you have a bit of money to spend, then consider this - it is a worthwhile investment.

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Very useful and worth the money

I purchased my network adapter a few years after I brought my Xbox, I got it so I could play online anywhere that had a TV and a wireless signal. The wireless adapter is very easy to use, you clip it onto the back of the Xbox and connect it by USB. Then you have to go onto the Xbox dashboard and go to network setting. From there you will be able to see your wireless network (if it's open) and then click on the network and enter that pass key if one is needed. Then you're all ready to play the Xbox anywhere. The adapter has a light on the back of it that shows whether you're connected to the internet or not. It shines red when you're not connected, and green when you are.There are problems with this adapter when it comes to connection quality and speed, but there is a new adapter which does allow faster and more stable connections. But for most cases, the original adapter is more than capable of allowing you to play online with a relatively reliable connection speed.

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If you have an original 360, this is your best option by far

I was late getting an Xbox 360, but clearly I was just a little too early. Only 6 months after I fork over £100 for an Xbox is the new one released, boasting integrated wireless! I was loath to part with the excessive amount of money Microsoft are charging for an accessory that adds basic functionality, but with my Xbox and router seperated by a flight of stairs and 2 rooms, I had little choice. I looked into getting a cheaper option, but many seemed to require some sort of setup, so I ultimately decided to just go for the Microsoft original. To be honest, I think I made the right choice. It worked right from the word go, with no setup needed, and hasn't failed once. It picks up the signal better than my laptop does at times! I'm not sure that the clip on the back is supposed to attach to, which is annoying, but I can live with such minor grievances. While the price is excessive, it's the best of a bad bunch.

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Reliable and essential

For a while I used my trusty xbox 360 with an Ethernet cable plugged in so I could go online and make use of the wonderful Xbox Live. In my humble opinion modern day gamers are missing out on a considerable lot if they ignore online gaming and thus I wanted to be in on the action. However, it soon became apparent that by having to stretch cables to the computer downstairs, cut offs and the wire being a tripping hazrd in a busy house I needed something to take them away and sure enough the Wireless Adaptor does the trick.

The thing that was putting me off here when initially buying was the price. At £49.99 I felt a game was a better buy and held off until I had to.

But since buying the product I must admit that I have been more than impressed and it has worked a wonder living well up to the price tag and making for easier, more reliable and more effective gaming online. Of course before reading this it is obvious you require a wireless router and an xbox 360 to use this with either a Gold or silver xbox live membership and this device will only work on the console and cannot be used a general adapter.

Anyway, the device is easy to set up, far easier than doing it via a cable. Within minute even a novice will have this up and running and connected to xbox. The device plugs via usb into the back of the console. One problem with this though is the wire is under 15cm long so you have to find somewhere to put it. I don't like the idea of it dangling as that will surely put unnecessary strain on the string and thus its best balancing it on top of the box.

As you can see from the image the device itself is very small and this light making it easily storable and transportable but I tend to leave it in always. The little aerial at the top picks up the signal and the light display goes Green when connected and red to tell you if there is an issue.

In terms of performance I have used this I a number of places and find it works a treat with all locations a routers. First off I used it with a Sky Router two floors up from where the router was and it worked solidly and connected fine, being reliable and quick. Then I sued it within 2 meter of a BT router and again it worked a treat so if you have either of those then you have no worries.

In my time using it rarely looses connection of its own accord. If the internet is connected and working fine then this little device will do the same.

An essential for xbox 360 owners wanting to play on line. Solid, reliable and lasts!

Also on ciao

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If you have a wireless home network then this is a great item to have!

When I had to relocate for my job I ended up lodging at someones house. They had wireless setup at their house and the equipment was situated downstairs. I had my XBOX setup in my room up stairs so the only solution to this problem was for me to get a wireless adapter. When I got one about 3 - 5 years ago I remember them being quite pricey.. maybe around £60.. I think they have come down alot in price as the years have gone on.

The equipment is just a wireless device that plugs into one of the USB sockets on the X BOX. This then allows you to connect to a wireless network and play games with other people around the world. I have never had any problems with mine and would easily recommend the product to other people. Its simple to use... you just plug it in however if you have multiple devices on your home network you may need to manually configure an IP address. Other than that it is pretty much just plug and play. It seems as fast as a wired connection and I have never had any problems with speed or lag which is highly important when competing online.

A great solution to a common problem.

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worth it to get rid of those annoying leads

Im a big fan of this wireless network adaptor although I do believe the xbox 360 should have had this function built in the console and that Microsoft should not have needed an updated console to do such a thing. The adaptor does everything it says it does it offers wireless internet creating ease of use without the need of a long wire in my situaion running through the house just to play xbox live. Its certainly a handy gadget to have for any xbox 360 although it seems quite costly for such a small product its really worth it in my opinion. One slight problem with the adaptor though is the loss of speed in the connection yet this can only be expected from wireless devices. Certainly worth picking up for the right price although if your router is close to your xbox then I would suggest avoiding buying this product.

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This will help to prolong the life of your games so is a worthwhile investment.

If you own an xbox 360 you pretty much have to own this aswell to get the most out of the console.I could not imagine myself having an xbox without online capabilities, it makes the whole experience more enjoyable and prolongs the life of the games that have been released.

It suits the overall look of the xbox, it feels well made and it also sits nicely on the back of the xbox tucked away out of sight.Its had plenty of knocks and has still operated fine.

I bought mine the day i got my xbox, this came to about £45 for it new, although game often do a "£25 when bought with anything else instore" and it can be bought with a cheap £1 toy and the offer is still valid, i would reccomend doing this or just buying the new N type with two ariels.

Pros;- Gives you the ability to talk online with millions of other people.- Play games against many other players, helps you to increase your skill.- Ability to have your xbox in a different room to your router without a long cable.- Fits nicely onto the back of the xbox.- States that its plug and play, sometimes sets itself up.

Cons;- The further away you get from your router the weaker the signal gets- Ive found the ariel to be directional, it needs to be in line with my router.- It should have no more then one wall or two doors inbetween the router or the adater.- An extra 3 foot away from my door means a loss of 2 bars of signal strength.- Also gives you the ability to hear annoyingly high pitched teenage boys/girls.- Can be complicated to set up correctly and can involve port forwarding.- High price, much cheaper alternatives out there.

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An upgrade for your Xbox 360 to take it beyond the realms of a simple console.

Perhaps the strength of the new generation of games consoles was that they were no longer limited to just playing games. They have evolved into fully functional media centres. Of course the gaming element is its primary function, but then came dvd and bluray playing options, music and of course internet connection. Now while the soon to be released upgrade of the Xbox 360 does have an internal wirelss adapter, the originals do not. To get online you will need the Wireless Networking Adapter.

Available from Amazon.co.uk for a reduced price of £40.99, (usually £59.99) it allows you to connect to the Xbox Live facility. From there you can transfer music, games and films to your Xbox 360 without the messy wiring previously required. It is compatible with both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz wireless networks.

It is a tiny device measuring 19cm x 12.2cm x 4cm and weighs only 150g. You plug it into the rear of your Xbox 360 but not before loading the installation softward disc. It is similar to setting up your PC, so veterans of that task will have no problems. Install software, plug the adapter in, configure and scan. Done.

Of course this will only give you access to the basoc Xbox live, which is limited to just the basics. If you have designs on playing online, then be prepared to for a membership. A 12 month gold card membership costs £39.99. The silver membership is free, and with that you can still download stuff, including add-ons for the games you play. You can also spend your hard earned points in the marketplace.

A lot of people have complained about the cost of the device in the past, and they have a point as initially it retailed closer to £70. My advice to you is to wait until the new version of the Xbox 360 is released. As this has the adapter built in, it should see demand for this reduce and the price will follow suit.

As to its usefulness, I can have no complaints. It works every time. The set up and installation was simple and painless. It is constructed from the same external material as the console itself, so even if it where on display, it would not look out of place. It definitely takes the console to a better level which can only extend its lifespan.